The only detective story written by A. A. Milne was published in 1922, and though no one today is likely to claim that The Red House Mystery is a neglected masterpiece, it was very popular for a decade or more and has been frequently reprinted. Milne hoped to be taken seriously as a novelist, essayist, screenwriter and playwright, and might not have been best pleased to know that he is remembered almost exclusively as the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh.
We can sometimes learn a great deal about the finest examples of a genre from popular B-list texts. While the very best literature is often subtle and elusive, the less-than-best can be quite blatant in the way it achieves its effects. Such texts may also reflect the taste, values and preoccupations of their times more clearly than complex literature. Set in a country house and its extensive park, The Red House Mystery opens with the obligatory stereotypical servants discussing the imminent arrival of the master’s long-lost brother from Australia. Experienced readers will know that a disruptive stranger arriving in a placid community will kick-start the mayhem.
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